snap judgment

Idioms  

1. A hurried or impetuous decision or finding, as in George was known for making snap judgments on personnel questions; he rarely bothered to investigate further. This expression, which uses snap in the sense of “quick,” was first recorded in 1841.

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Example Sentences

See Examples For:

snap judgment

Thomas allowed agents to make this snap judgment themselves, at the border, without “clear and convincing evidence” that the LPR really did commit the offense.

From Slate ● Jun. 24, 2026

His snap judgment endangers a planet's civilian population, leaving her to fix the crisis he has created.

From Salon ● Apr. 10, 2024

Defense attorney Craig Harbaugh asserted the FBI was desperate to find the person responsible and made a snap judgment, focusing on Beal and ignoring other evidence and suspects.

From Seattle Times ● Jun. 17, 2022

Though she has dating apps on her phone, she’s rarely on them because she feels “really weird about making a snap judgment on someone.”

From Washington Post ● Jul. 30, 2021

There is only one way to make a proper snap judgment of Sylvia Alimena, and that’s from behind a screen.

From "Blink" by Malcolm Gladwell